Yasmeena's Choice

A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival

By: Jean Sasson

Narrated by: Parisa Johnston

This is the true story of Yasmeena, a bright and beautiful young Lebanese woman who was imprisoned in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Yasmeena's shocking journey is a tale of the madness of war, of the sexual brutality unleashed by chaos, and of one woman’s courage to stand in danger’s way to aid her fellow sufferers. This is an explicit, graphic, and honest book. It is for mature audiences only.

Jean Sasson has spent her career sharing the personal stories of courageous Middle Eastern women. Princess: Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

was an international bestseller. It has become a classic, taught in colleges and high schools and devoured by anyone who aspires to understand the Middle East. Yasmeena was quite literally an innocent abroad. She was a college educated, English-speaking flight attendant graced with an unusual amount of confidence and sophistication. She was also a virgin and a conservative Muslim daughter and sister. When Yasmeena's flight out of Kuwait was delayed, it was because Saddam Hussein had just invaded Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers threw her into a woman's prison where the guards committed ghastly sexual attacks and tortured the women in excruciating ways.

After Yasmeena was brutalized by the captain of the prison, she thought she was the most unfortunate woman on earth. But that was before she befriended Lana, whose brutal rapist took glee in inflicting hurt. Yasmeena used her position as the captain's favorite to protect her friend, though she also was forced into a wrenching decision.

Yasmeena's Choice reads like a thriller. As the Americans and other allies march into Kuwait and the Iraqis flee, Yasmeena escapes. Eventually she finds a safe harbor where Sasson interviews her and records every horrific element of her experience. Sasson has wanted to write this story for many years. But she knew that the sexual explicitness and violence would make the tale difficult to publish. A year ago, Yasmeena's story and the choices she was forced to make invaded Sasson’s dreams. She realized that now was the right time to share the story. And so here it is, Sasson's testament to an articulate, angry, brave young woman who not only survived but who was eager to share her story with the world.

©2013 The Sasson Corporation (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

May I never know if I am so Courageous

This story is intense & hides nothing. As a woman who lived in Q8 & fell in love with its people, I was happy to hear an author sing this countries well earned praises. The stories are brutally honest & therefore difficult to listen to. May the many victims of wars find peace in their hearts. Thank You, Yasmeena & Jean Samson for having the fortitude to share these stories with the world.

Heart wrenching

This book evokes deep emotional suffering of the characters in this book. Knowing that Yasmeena survived made it have somewhat of a happy ending. Knowing that the things that happened to these women is true and could happen to any woman who was trapped in a war torn country is not only shocking but scary. I remember the invasion of Kuwait I was a girl probably 14 years old 15 years old at the time and I had a friend who her family was here on vacation from Kuwait so it kind of hit close to home because I know that that could’ve been her fate if her and her family hadn’t been on holiday in the United States. This was a part of the war that I never thought about until I read this book and it broke my heart to know that innocent women were brutalized and tortured.

This book will likely live with you forever.

I don’t want to give anything away but can confidently say that this book is nothing like you have likely heard before.

Kept me rivited

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would. It is an eyeopener to the difference in the lifestyle between the east and west in order that we could have open discussion about the story and what women from the east face.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character of the story - she used her head to survive. It was interesting how the comparison was made between the two females in the story.

Which character – as performed by Parisa Johnston – was your favorite?

Yasmeena

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Even though Yaseema was given a lot of freedom, there were still cultural restrictions which would have made her an outcast should her family have known that she was a victim of rape. So sad.

Heartbreaking and excellently written

Jean Sasson writes in a way that makes you feel like you are right there. This book was difficult to get through, not because it wasn’t good. On the contrary, this book was incredible. It was difficult to finish because of how detailed Jean Sasson was about the atrocities endured by the women in that prison. Thank you for telling this story. Thank you for being in awareness to the horrendous treatment that those women survived.

On a side note: I was not very impressed by the narrator. She was extremely robotic, and at times very monotone. But, she was clear and the recording was free of glitches.